Large commercial wind turbines are prone to lightning strikes and, in this regard, it is a common practice to provide the turbine blades with lightning receptors spaced along the longitudinal length of the blade so as to capture and conduct the strikes to ground. The conventional lightning protection systems do not, however, provide an indication of an actual lightning strike or the magnitude of any such strike, which is an important consideration with respect to potential repairs, damage control, and warranty claims. For example, the wind turbine blades are generally warranted from the manufacturer to withstand a lightning strike within a certain design specification, for example up to a 100 kA strike. Although it may be possible to determine that damage done to a blade is the result of a lightning strike, to date there has not been a reasonable and cost-effective way to access the magnitude of the strike and, thus, whether or not the damage is covered by warranty.
The conventional lightning protection systems are also not generally configured to give a remote indication of an actual strike, magnitude of the strike, time of the strike, and other real-time parameters that may be important to the operator of the wind turbine, for example to make a real-time decision as to whether or not the wind turbine should be immediately shut down to prevent further possible damage.
Accordingly, the industry would benefit from an improved lightning protection system for wind turbines that registers parameters of an actual lightning strike and a produces remote, real-time indication of any such strike.